


When Video Games Come to Life

by Yugi



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: A LOT of Character Death, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, BAMF Mutou Yuugi, Being Rewritten, But He Gets There, Character Death, Continued from Fanfiction, F/F, F/M, M/M, Women Being Awesome, and so many more, not at first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-14 01:35:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7146797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yugi/pseuds/Yugi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuugi just wanted to play a zombie video game, he didn't expect it to become his life. And what does Anzu's boyfriend Yami want from him? Why is nothing going is way as of late? </p>
<p>Zombie AU that is heavily inspired by Tell Tales "The Walking Dead".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Yuugi was considered your average nerd. He enjoyed playing games of all sorts; puzzles, board games, video games, you name it. He was also smart, but was very near sighted and needed glasses. He lived with his grandfather at their game shop ever since both of his parents died in a horrible fire. They have each other now, and they are very reluctant to let people in their lives. 

Yuugi seems to get bullied on at school quite a lot due to the fact he was shorter than most, making him an easy target. He also has unusual tri-colored hair, which sticks up in all directions. This was also a target for bullying, as well as the fact he was smarter than most of his classmates. Yuugi’s only friend seemed to be a student named Anzu. 

Anzu had short brown hair and blue eyes. She tends to wear shorts and tighter clothing, including her school uniform, always unbuttoned to almost indecency. Yuugi knew they were not true friends; Anzu was popular and seemed to only hang out with him to get answers for homework. But he wasn’t bothered by her antics, he had learned to live with her ways. 

“Yuugi, come on! Earth to Yuugi!” Yuugi was snapped out of his trance by an irritated voice. He turned to be greeted by an annoyed Anzu. She huffed in annoyance and rolled her eyes at Yuugi for ignoring her.

“I’ve been trying to snap you out of some kind of funky trance you were in for the past 20 minutes! Come on, help me with my homework so we can go to the mall!” Anzu said, tapping a pencil to her homework with impatience, and Yuugi knew he better work or risk her exploding with frustration. 

“Okay Anzu, let’s look over the problem first and try to work out from there.” 

They spend the next 5 minutes solving the last homework problem, causing her to grin once she got the problem. 

“Okay nerd, let’s reward ourselves by going to the mall!” Anzu said and grabbed Yuugi by the wrist. Yuugi sighed; she was probably seeing her newest boyfriend. Yami Hakujona, the strangest of all the boyfriends Anzu has ever had. The problem Yuugi had was the fact he was a freshman in college and they were seniors in high school. But Anzu was determined that this was her true love, so who was Yuugi to push the topic? 

However, Anzu liked to tease Yuugi about his own love life and was deadest on convincing Yuugi that he had a crush on her boyfriend. While Yuugi was gay, he was rude enough to steal somebody else’s boyfriend. Though it was weird that Yami always wanted Yuugi there while they meet up. 

Arriving at the mall, Yuugi did a quick scan at the food court area; the normal place where they met up. Not even surprised, Yuugi found Yami sitting alone at a table of three, waiting for them. 

“Anzu I found him.” Yuugi said, pointing over to the table. Anzu gave him a slap on the back for his efforts and waved at Yami to let him know we had arrived. He waved back and his classic smirk was placed on his face. 

I rolled my eyes as we took a seat at the table, sitting across from Yami while Anzu took the seat next to him. She quickly wrapped her arms around his arm and began telling him about her day. He politely nodded and tried to include me in the conversation, but I really wasn’t up for it like Anzu was, and let the couple be. 

Yuugi started to think back to the horror game he had recently bought and hadn’t played through yet. His grandfather seemed to be more excited about the game than he was, but that wasn’t a problem. He just hopped the Grandpa didn’t get too excited and play the game without him. 

Yuugi rested his cheek in his palm and gazed off into the distance, daydreaming about how great it would be to go home and play his game. That was when he felt a foot hit him. Literally kicked out of his daydream, Yuugi shot a disapproving look at Yami, who gave him such an innocent look it caused Yuugi to bite his tongue to prevent from laughing. He did shoot his chair back though so the incident couldn’t happen again. 

Anzu didn’t seem to see the exchange, too evolved with holding a conversation with herself. Nobody would stop her anytime soon, as it was a good idea to let her burn herself out before trying to keep up with her talking pace. She must have said something dramatic, because she slammed her hand of the table, causing Yuugi to jump. His glasses had slid down the bridge of his nose so he had to fix those, causing Yami to give a soft chuckle. 

I hope that Grandpa loves the game as much as I would Yuugi thought to himself. Yuugi did start to worry, because while his grandfather loves jump scares, he always worried about his heart. He is older, so Yuugi has reason to worry. Anzu was still wrapped in her own world, and looked like Yami was listening. Would it be bad if Yuugi just slipped away? It couldn’t be that bad, could it? 

 

Before Yuugi could even move, Yami caught his foot with his again and decided now was a good time to drag him into the conversation again. 

“Say Yuugi, how was your day?” Yami asked, an innocent expression on his face. But Yuugi knew different, Yami knew Yuugi wanted to sneak off, but he must not want him to. So he asks Yuugi about his day to bring the focus back to him. 

“It was alright, nothing interesting happened to me today. Anzu had a very interesting day.” Yuugi countered, as Anzu jumped on the assist with a small smile on her face. Yuugi just smiled and pulled out his phone under the table to text his grandfather about the game, and begged him not to open it without him. He received a winky face emoji and internally groaned, knowing at least the plastic covering was off the game. 

When they all got up, Yuugi knew the shopping spree was next, and he knew that he would be the one to hold all of the bags. A few hours later found Yuugi carrying bags stacked higher than his head, making walking a very difficult task. He listened to Anzu’s voice to make sure he knew where everyone was going, and prayed that he didn’t fall over a railing. 

Suddenly a few bags were lifted off of him, and he let out a breath in relief. 

“The light! I can finally see the light!” Yuugi exclaimed and smiled at his savior, a thank you on the tip of his tongue. Until he saw it was Yami who was helping him. 

“About time you helped out.” He grumbled instead, adjusting to the weight of the bags now that half were missing. 

“You looked like you needed help, and you were just about to fall over with the amount of bags that you were carrying.” Yami said in reply. Yuugi merely rolled his eyes and tried his best to shrug his shoulders with the amount of bags he was carrying. 

“Yeah well, whatever…” Yuugi mumbled, causing Yami to laugh. 

“You know, you’re just adorable, you know?” 

Yami’s statement left Yuugi feeling very lost and uncomfortable, ignoring the blush that was spreading across his face. What was he supposed to make of that statement? He was Anzu’s boyfriend, he’s supposed to be calling her adorable, not Yuugi. 

He shook his head, ignoring this comment for now in hope to play his newest horror game. They were leaving now, and Anzu was driving him home and talking about how charming Yami is and how lucky she was to have him in her life. All Yuugi could think about was the minutes literally ticking by until he could get his hands on the game. 

After being dropped off, he rushed into the game shop in a hurry, calling for his grandpa. When he got no response, Yuugi expected the worst. 

“Grandpa?!” Yuugi called frantically. 

“In here Yuugi!” His grandfather called from the living room. He smiled and rushed into the living room, jumping onto his place on the couch. 

“Have you been playing my game?” Yuugi asked, a hint of hurt lacing his voice. His grandpa shook his head, which was a great relief to Yuugi. 

“Then what did you do while I was gone?”

“I made popcorn, got the game set up for you, and waited until you got home.”

“Oh! You’re just as excited as I am, aren’t you?”

“Just… Just play the game already!” 

Yuugi chuckled and hit the play button. He was introduced to a man sitting in the back of a cop car. Yuugi controlled the conversation, trying to get invested in this new type of gaming. He succeeded, and was very surprised when the cop turned off his radio to continue telling a story, and refused to look at the road. When Yuugi tried to warn the man, he hit the person standing in the road and they spiraled off the road and into the shoulder. 

Yuugi screamed and clutched the controller to his chest in worry. He found himself on the floor now, eyes glued to the screen. His grandfather was still on the couch, but the popcorn bowl was merely being used to be gripped rather than eaten. Yuugi guided his character out of the car and to the police officer who had the keys to the handcuffs. There was a jump scare, it turns out the cop was alive after all, just as a zombie. 

Yuugi’s grandfather jumped off the couch and demanded Yuugi pause the game. Yuugi whined and turned toward him with huge puppy eyes. But his grandfather would have none of it, and demanded Yugi save and finish this game at a later place. His reasoning was it was a school night but Yuugi was more than willing to put school aside for such an amazing horror game. He does relinquish control of the controller and sighs a dramatically long sigh as he makes his way up the stairs. His grandfather reassured him that he could play more tomorrow, and that instantly got Yuugi’s hopes up.

\--- 

The next day left Yuugi with an empty house with a note on the fridge. This used to freak him out when he was younger, but now that he’s older he knows his grandfather hadn’t abandoned him. Yuugi first got himself something to eat before grabbing the note. Readjusting his glasses, he began to read what his grandpa had left him to do. 

“Yuugi my boy! Sorry this came up so quickly, but I’ve been summoned to an excavation site in Egypt. Serenity will be arriving around 13:00 to check up on you. She’ll be staying over for a few days just so you won’t be alone. Hope you don’t mind; I doubted that you would. Call me if you need anything! Love you! –Grandpa”

Yuugi looked at the clock and say it read 09:00. He realized that he was extremely late to school! Panicking, Yuugi rushed up the stairs and grabbed the nears clothes; an old Star Wars shirt and his black jeans. He quickly was putting his shoes on when he caught sight of his calendar. It was Friday, and we had the day off from school. 

Groaning out of frustration, Yuugi flung himself dramatically on the bed. How could he have possibly forgotten than he didn’t need to go to school tomorrow?! He could have stayed up later with his grandfather to see what happened next in the game. Throwing himself off the bed, he raced down the steps to the living room. 

He had a few hours to kill before Serenity got here, so he might as well enjoy them to the fullest. He turned on the machine and waited for the game to load so he could continue playing. When the game turned on, he became so engrossed with it he didn’t hear somebody knocking at the door. In fact, he didn’t realize that a total of four hours had passed by because this game really pulled him in. 

Pausing the game, Yuugi quickly go up and walked over to the door, looking at the peak hole before swinging it open with unrestrained enthusiasm. The person he has been waiting for has finally shown up, and he couldn’t be more excited. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to tease her.

“Oh? Is it time already?” He said, faking disappointment. This caused Serenity to laugh and lightly tap his head. 

“Yuugi Motto, how dare you question my time keeping skills!” She said, a grin breaking out across her face. The two of them laughed and then hugged in the doorway before Yuugi let her in the house. 

Today Serenity was wearing her favorite yellow shorts that covered her neck and stopped just at the elbows. She was wearing her light brown hair in a ponytail, and her blue jean shorts were something she was trying to bring back into style. She placed her white purse and duffle bag on the kitchen counter, and the two of them make it to the living room. 

Serenity threw herself on the couch as Yuugi made himself at home on the floor by her feet. She starts to braid his hair but he didn’t mind; if he was honest, it felt nice for Serenity to play with his fair. But he would never admit that. 

“So what game are we playing today?” Serenity asked, her focus split between the screen and on Yuugi’s hair.

“It’s this new zombie horror game, and the story line has already made me cry at least 3 times.” Yuugi replied, but his main focus was on the screen, not as engrossed as before but slowly getting there. 

He had made it to the second chapter of the game, and he soon realized Serenity was becoming engrossed with the game just like he was. During the credits for the second chapter, Yuugi filled Serenity in on what she had missed, and they both made predictions on how the third chapter was going to be. 

That was when there was a knocking on the window. It starts off as a small knock, but it turned more violent as time progressed. The two in the living at first ignored it, but then began to grow weary of it. 

“Who do you think that is?” Yuugi asked in a quiet voice, the game paused for now. 

“I don’t know,” came Serenity’s soft reply, “but I’m sure if we’re quiet than it’ll go away.”

Suddenly there was a crash and a sound of a person moaning. This caused the both of them to be instantly on guard as the slowly made their way to the front of the shop, where the noise came from. 

There was a person, who looked badly injured, laying on top of the window glass in the game shop. Yuugi felt sick and Serenity gasps, her hand going immediately to her phone. She quickly dialed 911 but sound found the line to be busy. She pushed Yuugi behind her and watched the person, calling out to them in an attempt to check if they were alright.

“Yuugi, you need to go find the first aid kit and bring it here, okay?” Serenity said, her voice calm and hardly shaking. Yuugi frantically nodded and rushed up the stairs to his bathroom, finding the first aid kit under the sink. That was when he heard the loud scream that pierced the air. He sat their frozen on the bathroom floor in fear of what he might find downstairs. 

But he heard Serenity calling for Yuugi come quickly, so he made his way back downstairs to find a scene he will never forget. 

Serenity was clinging her right arm to her body, the cashier was now on top of the wounded man’s head. Yuugi felt like he was going to be sick, and Serenity looked like she was losing a lot of blood. 

“Serenity! I have the kit, what happened?” Yuugi asked, quickly making his way to her but his eyes trained on the dead man in his shop. 

“Yuugi there’s no time, remember that treehouse in the back yard?” She asked, her voice strained. Yuugi didn’t understand but he nodded anyway. “Good, I need you to take my duffle bag and shove as much unrefrigerated food possible inside of it, okay? It’s fine if you need to take some stuff out, but let’s move fast.”

Yuugi was confused on how calm Serenity could be as she took the first aid kit from Yuugi and took at a single bandage and wrapped her wound, which looked like a bite. Yuugi didn’t spare any thought on this as he ran to the pantry, collecting all the canned food he could fit in his arms. He rushed back to the duffle bag and cramped as many cans that would fit. 

Serenity took over from there, removing things she deemed unimportant and shoved the rest of the cans in the bag. Yuugi was shaking with uncertainty and fear, unsure of what exactly was happening. Before he could ask, Serenity turned towards him with a soft smile on her face. 

“Don’t worry Yuugi, everything is alright. I need for you to get two big winter coats; can you do that?” 

“I-I don’t know if we have winter coats but I’ll check!” Yuugi replied, his answer coming out shaky. He ran to the closet and looked for the winter coats, finding his and his grandfathers. Without thinking, he grabbed both of them and ran back to Serenity, who already had found the baseball bat and had the duffle bad slung over her shoulder. 

“Okay, let’s go to the tree house.” Serenity said, looking calm but her face had lost its color. She looked like a ghost of herself, and Yuugi was growing concerned. 

“What happened Serenity?” He asked, and she smile a weak smile at him.

“I’ll tell you when we get to the tree house, now let’s go.” She said, grabbing Yuugi by the arm and steering him towards the treehouse. She shoved him up the ladder first, and then climbed up after him. She placed the duffle bag in the corner, and asked for the winter coats. Yuugi handed them over without hesitation; Serenity seemed to have a plan, and he wasn’t about to ruin it. 

“The floor may be a little uncomfortable, sorry about that. I didn’t think to ask about sleeping bags.” She said, but I merely shrugged and made my way towards the ladder. 

“That’s fine, I can go look for some.” I said, only to be pulled back by Serenity by strength I never knew she possessed. 

“No no, we’re fine without them. Let’s just stay up here, okay? It’s safer up here.”

“Why is it safer up here Serenity? What are you hiding?” Yuugi demanded, fear coloring his voice. 

Serenity paused and squeezed him to her, almost to reassure herself that Yuugi was real. 

“I think… I think there’s zombies walking around. And… I don’t think I’m going to make it.” 

“What? Why? Serenity don’t give up!”

“It’s not that Yuugi, it’s just… I’m bit. I got but already.” 

The silence that followed was deafening, and Yuugi began to cry. Serenity held him, and rubbed his back like a mother would for her child. Yuugi had always looked up to Serenity, and sometimes did see her as his mother figure. 

“No… No we can find a cure. I promise you we can. You don’t have to die!” Yuugi exclaimed, causing Serenity to give him a meaningful squeeze. 

“Hey… can I at least finish my braid before I go? It would mean a lot to me if I could.” Serenity asked, tears welling in her own eyes. Yuugi merely nodded, a certain numbness of loss taking him. Serenity shifted him so he was sitting between her legs, and she began to finish the braid she had started.

They did this in complete silence, the thought of losing Serenity muted Yuugi and the thought of dying muted Serenity. When she finished, he patted Yuugi on the back and gave him another meaningful hug. 

“I promise I won’t endanger you, okay? When I feel really awful, I’m going to lock myself in the house. There’s a walkie-talkie in my duffle bag for you, I left the other one in the house. So we can communicate when I’m not here in the tree house, okay?” Yuugi just nodded, clinging to Serenity like a life line. 

“You are so brave Serenity. Thank you for being here with me.” He said in a hushed tone, barely above a whisper. Serenity did hear it though, and smiled a watery smile. She may only hours left, but she would do whatever it took to keep her kiddo alive. He was going to make it while she couldn’t. 

“I’m going to go in the house now, see if I can get a few more supplies. You stay here okay?” She said, and gave Yuugi a parting kiss on the forehead. Yuugi nodded and watched her leave, a feeling of never seeing her again crossed his mind, but he refused to allow the thought to take root. He needed to stay positive, and opened the tree house window to allow some light in. he say Serenity make her way to the house, and lock herself in. She made eye contact with Yuugi, and gave him a small wave. Yuugi returned the gesture and then she was gone. 

Nobody was around to hear how badly Yuugi cried that night, huddled beneath his grandfather’s winter coat. Yuugi’s biggest fear was to be left alone, and now his biggest fear may be coming true. He closed his eyes and begged sleep to take him, so he may be free for at least a couple of hours. 

\--- 

Yuugi awoke to somebody calling out for help. He immediately grabbed the baseball bat that Serenity had left him, and cautiously opened the window that kept him hidden from view of outsiders. He saw somebody he did not think he would ever see again, and felt his jaw drop. 

There stood Yami, badly beaten up with what looked like a busted up leg. His shirt clung to his body and looked like it was drenched in sweat. His black jeans also clung to his body, and it looked like he’d hit his head somewhere. He continued to call out, and Yuugi was very tempted to respond. Before he got the nerve to respond, however, Yami had already entered Yuugi’s house. Where Serenity locked herself in after being bitten. 

Panic got the best of Yuugi, as he dragged the duffle bag from the other winter coat and looked for the walkie-talkie that was promised inside. When he found it, he felt himself smile and he turned on the walkie-talkie. 

“Hello...? Can you hear me? Hello?” He tried first, then wait for a response. When he got nothing he repeated himself and waited a bit longer, hoping that the walkie-talkie was on the right station. Finally, he got a response. 

“Hello? Who is this?” Yami’s gruff voice came across the walkie-talkie and Yuugi was just happy to hear another voice. 

“You’re in my house.” Yuugi says instead, hoping to hear Yami talk again. He was rewarded with a laugh from Yami, and he couldn’t help the smile turning into a grin. 

“I see, lovely place you got here.” Yami replied, and it sounded like Yami was looking around the house. “Where are you exactly? I promise I’m friendly.” 

“I know; you’re dating a friend of mine.” Yuugi replied, and rolled up the curtain so Yami could see where he was. “I’m in the tree house outside, it’s safe here.” 

“Smart thinking. Wait, is that you Yuugi? I didn’t know you lived here!” 

“Small world, but listen, there’s something I have to tell you.” 

“Go on, tell me anything you want.”

“My friend is in the house with you, and she may be a zombie.” 

Silence filled the radio and he really hoped Yami hadn’t decided to just leave. Then finally, he replied, and Yuugi felt himself let out a breath of relief. 

“Hold on, I’m going to try to find you. Stay put.” Yami says, and Yuugi could now see him in the kitchen, and waved at him. Yami waved back and gave him a smile. 

“So your friend is a zombie huh? I didn’t see her a—SHIT!” 

The line cut short and Yuugi felt his heart racing. Was it true? Was Serenity an actual zombie? Without thinking, Yuugi grabbed his baseball bat and worked his way down the ladder as fast as he could. He saw Yami pinned under Serenity, who was snarling and trying to take a bite out of him. Yuugi swung open the glass door and started to beat Serenity over the head with his bat. He felt tears streaming down his face as he did it, and soon Serenity stopped moving.

Yami pushed Serenity’s corpse off of him, and Yuugi didn’t realize it but he as actually shaking. Yuugi was too, but he offered a hand to Yami and helped him up. 

“You okay? Did she bite you?” Yuugi asked, tears making his face feel sticky. Yami just looked like he had seen Yuugi for the first in and slowly nodded. Yuugi sighed and shook himself, now was not the time to feel sorry for himself. He gave Serenity one last look, and said a prayer in his head. Then he half helped half dragged Yami to the base of the tree house, where he instructed Yami to wait. He left Yami with the baseball bat incase anything happened the 5 seconds he was in the tree house but you never knew. He climbed back down with the first aid kit, and cut away part of Yami’s pants around his wound. 

“This looks pretty bad, how did this happened?” Yuugi asked, already treating the wound to the best of his ability. Yami, to his credit, did not scream or make much of a fuse. He told Yuugi he was in a car crash, and the driver didn’t make it. He then saw a fence and hopped it, hoping to distance himself from the monsters casing him. But he hit his head on the way down, and was a little disorientated. Yuugi nodded and finished up on his first aid. 

“Can you stand?” 

“Yeah, I think I can manage now, thank you very much.” 

“I need to get the rest of my supplies if we’re moving out, but I can’t carry everything. You think you’re up for it?”

“As long as it isn’t too heavy I think I’ll be fine.” 

Yuugi nodded and scrambled up the tree house one final time and threw stuff he couldn’t carry at the base of the tree, being mindful of Yami of course. 

“I can manage the duffle bag; can you carry the coats?” Yuugi asked, holding out the coats for Yami to grab.

“Sure, but why are these winter coats? It’s summer, not winter.” 

“Yeah, but it gets cold at night, and I don’t want to freeze to death.” 

“I knew you were smart.”

“Never doubt me, Yami. Now let’s get moving.” 

The two of them made their way to the road, Yami being supported by Yuugi. They then saw two people trying to push cars out of the road, and Yami waved at them. 

“Hey guys! Do you need some help?” 

That caused an immediate reaction, and both people jumped in the air in fright. Yami didn’t laugh though, because there was soon a rifle pointed at him and Yuugi.

“Take it easy! We’re not one of those monsters!” Yami said, and slowly the rifle was put down.

“You guys need a lift? We can help each other out; you help us push this car out of the road, and we can help you by taking you to our farm. It’s nice and secure, and we’d love to have company.”

“Sure! We can help! Which one is your car?” Yuugi asked, his baseball bat resting at his side. The man who had been talking to them pointed at a red truck a few feet away. Yuugi nodded and helped Yami get to the truck and put their supplies in the back. 

“You stay here; we’ll be back soon.” Yuugi said, and it sounded like a promise to Yami’s ears. 

Yami grabbed Yuugi’s arm and looked him dead in the eye. 

“You better keep your word, and stay safe.” 

Yuugi nodded and ran over to the two guys trying to push the car out of the way. The two men looked almost identical, with their white hair and pale skin. Yuugi wondered their relationship, only to be reminded that he and Yuugi also looked similar. But these two looked identical. At least Yuugi had glasses so people could tell them apart. 

Soon enough Yuugi and one of the men jumped in the back of the truck while the over jumped in the driver’s seat. He started the car and they were on their way. That’s when the man driving decided to break the silence. 

“Hello, you missed out on introductions but I’m Bakura and your brother is certainly a sight for sore eyes.”

“Hey I’m Yami, and he is not my brother.”

“Oh? Sorry for assuming then. Who is he to you?” 

“He’s my savior really. He saved me and bandaged me up. I found him in a tree house full of supplies, like he knew what was going on.”

The man driving hummed and nodded his head. 

“That’s basically what he told us. It’s a bonus you guys have supplies, or I wouldn’t be too keen to let you come with us. But Ryou, my brother sitting with not your brother, is too nice. He wants to save everyone so he always offers up our farm. We actually have a family living with us right now, glad it’s only three of them.”

“A family of three? Geez, thank you for taking us in.” 

“Again, thank Ryou, not me. I would have just ignored you all together.” 

“Either way, thank you.” 

Bakura just grumbled and they sat in silence for the rest foe the car ride. Yami would occasionally glance back at Yuugi, and he found him sharing his winter coats with Ryou. He couldn’t help but smile at the kind hearted boy who had saved his life. He vowed to protect this boy with his entire being, even if it meant sacrificing his life to do that. 

They got to the farm around dusk, and were ushered into the bard for sleeping purposes. It did help that they provided resources and had those winter coats to keep them from the cold. Yami made sure Yuugi was comfortable before doing the same to himself. Before he could drift off to sleep, Yuugi asked him a soft question that he almost didn’t hear. 

“You think this place is safe?”

Yami rolled towards Yuugi who was already turned towards him. Yami nodded and saw Yuugi relax slightly into the sleeping bag. 

“Goodnight Yuugi.”

“Night Yami.” 

\--- 

The new day started with an unfamiliar voice waking them up. Yami flung himself upwards, only to make himself dizzy. He had forgotten his head injury, and cursed at his mistake. He glanced over at Yugi who was already ready for the day. He helped him up and Yami gave him a thankful smile. He smiled back and together they walked out of the barn. 

The man who woke them up had interesting butter blonde hair that stuck out pretty fair. He wore a plaid shirt and farmer’s jeans. He had work boots on that were crusted with mud, but his cherry smile showed he didn’t seem to mind or to care. His honey brown eyes twinkled with delight. 

“Good morning you guys! I’m glad you’re both up.” He said, a southern twang hinted in his voice. 

“Thank you for waking us.” Said Yuugi, a smile on his face. “We were wondering if there was breakfast? Yami needs to eat, I already ate.” Yami raised an eyebrow to that but went with the stranger who was later introduced as Joey. Yuugi let them be and wondered around the farm, wondering if he could be any help. He soon spotted Ryou working on the fence, and decided to help him. He cut the wood while Ryou hammered it in place. Ryou was telling him about how they got this farm when two other joined them. One was an adult was one was a child who was, Yuugi was embarrassed to admit, almost his height. 

“Hey Seto, hi Mokuba!” Ryou said in greeting, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Seto if you want Joey, he went inside the main house with our newest guest Yami. Mokuba can hang out here with us. In fact, he gets the seat of honor; the tractor seat.” 

Yuugi ooed and awed over the seat as Seto placed him there. Mokuba lookd like he was having the time of his life sitting on that tractor. He kept saying random orders from his position of power, and pretty soon the feeling of happiness consumed Yuugi. This wasn’t home, but it sure felt like it. 

He turned towards Ryou to hand him another piece of woods butwas met with the sight of Ryou getting pulled back by one of those monsters. Before Yuugi could help, Mokuba let out a high pitch shriek as he too was under attack. And without meaning to, he rolled the tractor under Ryou’s foot, trapping him. Yuugi quickly saved Mokuba and pushed him aside, and used the saw to try to saved Ryou. Seto came from nowhere and quickly took Mokuba into his arms. Yuugi finally got Ryou free, but he already saw the bite marks on his neck. 

He felt his eyes prickle with tears and he was hastily shoved aside by Bakura, a heartbroken expression on his face. 

“No Ryou, you can’t do this. You can’t die on me like this. I need you, brother. You can’t leave me alone.” Bakura mumbled while stroking Ryou’s hair. Ryou smiled at him and slowly the light faded from his dark brown eyes. Everyone was quiet, not sure what to except. Yami had arrived only to see the passing of Ryou, and he had grabbed into Yuugi for both his own support and to support Yuugi for losing a friend. 

“Get. The Fuck. Out of here.” Bakura growled, turning to face us. Yuugi didn’t see it before, but Bakura had a shot gun held in one hand, and he looked more than ready to use it. “It was Ryou who wanted you here. Now that you killed him you’re not welcomed here anyone.”

“But Yuugi tried to save him” Seto said defensively, “doesn’t that count for anything?”

“Nobody else tried! You left a young boy to save another’s life! You really think that’s responsible?” Bakura roared, his shot gun now pointed at the remaining survivors. 

“Yuugi and his friend can stay if they want. But the rest of you need to be gone.” With that final statement, Bakura turned toward his dead brother, sorrow finally taking hold of him. 

Joey approached Yami and Yuugi, who were unsure of what to do. He sighed and looked at them with pity and offered them a lift in his own car. They had enough room and wanted somebody who knew what was going on to be around them. Yami looked at Yuugi, who merely nodded and suggested they retrieve their supplies. Joey suggested they take a little as possible. 

“I want him to know we feel bad for what happened here today.” 

So Yuugi grabbed their coats while Yami retrieved the walkie-talkies and three cans from Yuugi’s duffle bag. Joey also took three cans and their separate bags. Joey led the way to the car and they drove in silence. Yami pulled Yuugi closer to himself as if it would protect them both from the harsh reality. Mokuba clung to Seto like Seto was the only thing that mattered, and Joey tapped a rhythm on the steering wheel while he drove. Nobody talked until joey cursed and pulled the car off to the side. 

“What’s wrong?” Seto asked, rubbing a sleeping Mokuba’s back. 

“This is as far as we go without gas.” Joey said, thumping his head on the steering wheel. 

“Where are we?” Asked Yuugi, who had been clutching Yami’s hand throughout the entirety of the ride. 

“Looks like some strip mall of sorts.” Yami said, squeezing Yuugi’s hand. 

Everyone exited the vehicle and clumped together. Seto thought he saw a person and waved them over, but didn’t dare call out. The person stopped, and slowly made their way to the group. As she got closer Yami felt his breath come in short and squeezed Yuugi’s hand again. Yuugi couldn’t see the person yet, and couldn’t clean his glasses to get a better look. But the way Yami was acting, it couldn’t be good. 

“You guys lost? Or do you need shelter? If you need shelter, come with me. Those fuckers come out around this time so standing all huddled up isn’t a good idea.” Anzu said, his outfit considerably dirty and a gun in her hands. Yuugi froze at the voice, but was pulled along by Yami at a quick pace. 

He had thought he’d seen the last of Anzu, but he should have known that girl is tough as nails, and he would bet his life on it that despite her dirty appearance, she looked great everywhere else. He wasn’t sure what this meant for Yami or if this would suddenly change their relationship, but Yuugi was curious to find out.


	2. It's All Downhill

He wasn’t sure what this meant for Yami or if this would suddenly change their relationship, but Yuugi was curious to find out. 

\--- 

Anzu walked the group to her base, which happened to be a local pharmacy. There was a man standing at the gate, who had the move interesting attire on. He wore black skinny jeans, a red headband that matched his rest vest, and no shirt. He also had one dice earing, which Yami had no idea how that survived. 

When they entered the building, Yami found an assortment of characters. There was a man who looked like America threw up and created him. He wore a USA flag bandana, was blonde, had a studded leather jacket, and wore a red shirt. He of course was also wearing combat boots. Next to him was a blonde woman who looked to be extremely uncomfortable. She wore a white crop top with purple matching vest and skirt. Her boots went up almost to her knees, but not quiet. She had her hair up in a ponytail and her knees were pulled into her chest. Her expression was one of smothered curiosity. 

Across from them stood a man wearing what looked like a business suit. He had his light brown hair spiked forward like Joey’s, only to a lesser extent. His weary brown eyes watch the two across from him with an expression that screamed uncomfortable. His outfit consisted of a button down green shirt and black slacks. His black business shows were scuffed and dirtied. When the group came in, he walked right over to the man with the earing and gave him a hug, which the earing man returned full heartedly. 

Anzu was wearing her light green tank top and blue booty shorts, her socks were pulled up over her thighs and her boots matching the other woman’s to almost her knees. She wore her hair down with only two matching pink clips keeping it out of her eyes. She had an expression that shows she was delighted but also pissed off. 

“Yami my lovely darling, just who are these people? And why are you with Yuugi?” She asked, but to Yami he knew it was a demand. Yami then proceeded to tell her and her group where exactly he had been and what this group went through. Anzu took it all in with a blank expression on her face, her eyes moving to the member on the group who picked off where Yami left off. 

When the story was finally over, Anzu took a deep breath and took in the new group again.

“Okay. I want everyone gone except for Yami.” 

This of course lead to an outcry of all the members, and Yami and Anzu got into a heated argument. Only Yuugi seemed to notice the bathroom door kept thumping, and while he tried to get anyone’s attention, they just shrugged him off and kept arguing. So Yuugi found himself standing in front of the bathroom door, baseball bat raised in the ready position in case something comes out of there. Yuugi quickly swung open the door and took a step back to be ready. A monster came out of the bathroom and grunted at him. Yuugi did not hesitate and swung the bat straight through his head. The monster fell and Yuugi was ready, making sure the head was completely bashed in. 

There was silence as Yuugi stood, blood splattering his face. Everyone’s eyes were on him as he tried to gain his breathing under control. When he felt he had it under control, he addressed the crowd. 

“You think we’re dangerous? You have no idea what’s in this place! You don’t even know where the true danger lies! You guys need to get out of your ass and see the world has gone to shit. We need to stick together and make allies rather than tear each other apart. Why can’t we just see the real threat that’s all around us?” Yuugi said, gesturing towards the windows around the shot that had been boarded up. Without the noise of the fighting it was easier to hear the sounds of those undead creatures moving around outside. 

Anzu was glaring at him, and usually that made him nervous, but today he was meeting her gaze head on. She marched over to him and took his glasses off his face. In a panic, he tried to reach for his glasses only to have them lifted farther from his reach. 

“You talk a big game but look how weak you are without your glasses. You’d be a sitting duck if I were to kick out outside right now. Why stick together when we can just use you as a distraction and the rest of us can get away safely? That would be one less mouth to feed.” Anzu said, inspecting Yuugi’s glasses as the boy stood in panic in front of her, unsure of what she was exactly planning on doing. He was scared that Anzu might break his glasses, and then he’d be screwed. 

Suddenly Yami came out of nowhere, snatched the glasses from Anzu, and started to clean them off. Anzu looked at her boyfriend in disbelief, and took a step away from Yuugi, as if she had been slapped. 

“You know,” Yami said, handing Yuugi his glasses back, “it would be better not to make enemies more than it would be to make friends. If you hurt Yuugi, you would be making Seto, Mokuba, Joey, and me your enemy. Do you really want that Anzu?” 

“That’s not what I meant Yami, clearly I was joking.” Anzu said, trying to cover up the situation. 

“If you’re going to call that a joke that is the sickest joke I have ever heard. Why the hell would you even joke about sending somebody to their death?” Joey said, his fists balled at his sides. Seto stood with Mokuba behind him, ready to defend him if Anzu decided he was the next target. 

Anzu must have seen she was backed up in the corner, because she just smiled and laughed, waving away the situation like it would work. And it did for the most part, everyone split up in their respected groups; Yami’s group by the cash register and Anzu’s by the door across. Everyone wanted to pretend Anzu’s expulsion didn’t happen, except Yami didn’t leave Yuugi’s side while Anzu was still obviously upset. 

Seto pulled Yami away and the two had a heated discussion by the bathroom next to the monster’s corpse. Joey sat on the floor in front of the cash register with Yuugi and Mokuba, trying to start a conversation with the blonde woman who was later introduced as Mai. She seemed to want to talk, but Keith, the American man sitting next to her, kept talking over her. Yuugi could tell it was wearing both Joey and Mai’s nerves, so he walked over to Mai and sat next to her. He smiled and started his own conversation with her, ignoring Keith completely. 

Then he introduced Joey and Mai formally to Joey, and they had their own converstation. Keith had tried to join in, but after it was clear they weren’t going to allow him to butt into their conversation, he moodily stopped and sat in complete silence. Yuugi thought about getting to know him more, only he was called over by Anzu, leaving Yuugi to sit all by himself. 

That was quickly fixed when Duke and Tristen came to sit next to him. They had taken a liking to Yuugi after his “daring speech fit for battle”, as they were calling it. Yuugi soon learned that Trsiten and Duke were actually engaged, and soon they were going to get married. Yuugi could also see that Keith was not so happy with the couple, and by the way he and Anzu were standing together glaring at the couple. 

This was another reason why Yuugi himself had never come out; he was scared of what would happen to him. He was almost certain Anzu would turn on him, no matter how many jokes she made about him having a crush on her boyfriend. He was scared of being rejected even more from society, and he would be forced to be an outcast for the rest of his life, all because he preferred men. 

Well, Tristen and Duke seemed to know, and from their comforting smiles and reassuring pats on the back, it didn’t seem like they would be telling anyone. Duke was even teasing Yuugi about liking Yami, which was weird all by itself. 

“He cares about you you know; I can see it in his eyes.” Duke said, a teasing smile still on his face. Yuugi ducked in his in embarrassment and refused to answer, knowing that his blush was showing. Tristen laughed and shook his shoulder. 

“No need to be embarrassed, we all have our first crush. Even if Yami isn’t into dudes, which I totally doubt, he cares for you—Duke’s right in that regard. If he turns you down, he’d make sure to do it gently.” Yuugi shook his head, now trying to hide behind his folded arms placed on his knees. 

“There’s no way I’m telling him. Besides, he’s dating Anzu right now. Or they were dating before this mess broke out. Not sure what’s going to come of that but I’m almost positive that it will result in them being all lovey-dovey with each other while I sit in the corner waiting for them to finish.” Yuugi said, his voice barely heard by the couple, who now wore matching expressions of confusion and worry. 

“Yuugi, there’s something I think you should know,” Tristen said, only to be cut off my Keith’s out raged scream. 

“What do you mean we’re all outta booze?” Keith yelled, his fists balled and arms coiled to strike. Anzu gave him an unimpressed look and gestured to an empty box, where Keith must have stored his alcohol. Yami and Seto were done arguing and made their way over to the scene. Joey, Mokuba, and Mai stayed back with unease written on their faces. Mai was tense and she had a hand rested on Mokuba. Tristen and Duke went to shift themselves in front of Yuugi, both of them also tense. 

Yami was the first to break the silence. 

“What are you screaming about? Have you forgotten the corpses walking about?”

“’Course not, it’s how I met you lovely people. But we’re out of fucking booze, and I’m not happy about it.” 

“So you need somebody to get you more, is that it? Well I have to break it to you, but I didn’t see any bars open on the way here.” Yami said sarcastically, causing Keith’s face to go red. 

“You have a sharp tongue, wonder how much it would hurt if it pulled it right out of your mouth.” 

“Go on then, I dare you.”

“As enjoyable as this pissing contest has been, I think I know a solution to the problem.” Anzu said, an air of ease surrounding her. Her voice seemed to calm Keith, as he took a deep breath and sulked away. Anzu turned towards Yami with a smile on her face, which was extremely unnerving. 

“There actually is a bar in town, it’s just a couple of stores over. Why don’t I help you get some so this monster of a man can calm himself? We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, would we?” She said this last line gesturing at Yuugi, who was currently sandwiched between two men Yami hadn’t gotten acquainted with yet. The site made him uneasy. 

“And you would lead the way? Just the two of us?” Yami asked, dread already creeping into his bones. Joey must have seen the look of dread because he stood up and made his way towards the two, Mokuba with Mai and now Seto, who took Joey’s place. 

“Well let’s make it a team of three, a dream team number. You two won’t mind if I tagged along would you?” Joey asked innocently, but his eyes dared Anzu to challenge him. She looked like she was going to reject, but changed her mind and simply nodded. She moodily made her way to the supply closet, and came back with three small guns. Yami took one and checked to see if it was loaded. Satisfied, he closed the chamber and pocketed the weapon. Joey did the same and they both looked at Anzu, who was now strapping a knife to her thigh. 

“Hey how come you get a knife? What if we wanted one?” Joey asked angrily, his tone suggesting accusation. She merely pointed to the supply closet. 

“If you want one go get one. They’ll be in there. That’s what we call the supply closet. Everything you need will be in there.” She said, and Yami and Joey made their way there to collect more supplies for the run. When they left Anzu walked over to Yuugi, who was shielded by Due and Tristen. This caused a frown to cross her face. 

“If you would excuse me, Yuugi and I have some business to discuss.” 

“Yeah, we’re not letting this kid out of our site, or around you. You’ve already threatened to kill him; why should we trust his care with you?” Tristen asked, Duke nodding in agreement. This caused Anzu to huff in annoyance. 

“Fine. Hey Yuugi, my boyfriend, Joey, and I are going on a little run for Keith. I’m putting you on radio control with Keith, okay? Great.” Before Yuugi could object, Duke was handing him a walkie-talkie with an unhappy expression that only put Yuugi on edge. 

“I won’t let you down.” Yuugi said softly. He really didn’t want to try to bond with Keith over their duty to man the radio, but Yuugi didn’t see that he had a choice in this situation. Internally groaning, he saw Keith approaching behind Anzu, and he just knew things could be a whole lot worse. 

He shoved back Duke and Tristen and grabbed Yuugi by the wrest. 

“C’mon, we’re going over here.” Was all Keith said as he practically dragged Yuugi to the corner of the room he himself had been inhabiting. Yuugi looked back at a worried Duke and Tristen, who made to come with but was waved off by Keith. They didn’t completely leave, but stayed a good distance away. Yuugi just hoped that whatever Keith was planning he could handle it.   
\---   
Yami sighed as he looked for knives for him and Joey, who waited outside the closet almost as if he was on look out. 

“So you and Anzu… I didn’t take you for the type to like bitches. In fact, I thought you and Yuugi were together when we first met.” Joey said casually, though he was watching’s Yami’s reaction intensely. Yami tensed, grabbed two knives he found, and turned around. 

“Well, to be perfectly honest with you, Yuugi is the reason why I started to date Anzu.” 

“I want a story and I want it now, while she’s distracted. Don’t leave anything out.” 

“Alright, let me tell you about this whole messed up situation. I met Anzu in high school—we both went to the same high school as well as Yuugi. I was a senior and they were juniors. Anzu was always hitting on me, but I was always drawn to the boy who she would drag with her everywhere she went. I wanted to get to know this boy, but he was either reluctant or shy to talk to me. 

So what was I to do? Anzu asked me out, and I thought if I said yes I would see Yuugi more. But she wanted to meet in private, and keep doing couple-like things. I should have seen this coming, my plan was based on chance. But then Yuugi started to tag along on our dates, and I felt comfortable around him. I tried to joke around with him, and he would start to as well, but then completely shut it down and ignore me the rest of the time. 

I soon grew to love him instead, but I had to leave for college. I don’t get to see them as much anymore, but my love for Yuugi has not diminished at all. I just hope that he feels the same about me. And if he doesn’t, I will protect him no matter what.” 

After Yami finished his story, Joey was suddenly on him, wrapping his arms around him and squeezing him. Yami made sure he didn’t accidently gut his friend with the knifes, but tried to return the hug, very confused. Joey squeezed him one last time and let go, giving his shoulder a shake. 

“You two were meant for each other, and I’m going to make sure you guys end up together. You know Seto and I are a thing, and Mokuba is basically our child. He’s actually Seto’s little brother but he’s called Seto “Father” before, it was quiet funny at the time. Just know you aren’t alone in this Yami, and there are people like you who are willing to help you get through whatever you’re getting yourself into. I’m rooting for you buddy!   
Now, let’s get us some booze.”  
\---   
Yuugi watched them leave, Duke closing the door and gate behind them. Keith sighed it wouls sounded like relief and kicked his feet up on the table that separated him and Yuugi. Yuugi still had the walkie-talkie in his hand, waiting for a sign that everyone was okay, they got what they needed, and they were heading home soon. 

He sighs and he shifts in his plastic chair, uncertain if he can leave or if he’s allowed to talk to Keith. So he sat in silence, unsure what exactly to do. After a long moment of silence, Mai came over and sat on the table and started to talk to Yuugi. Yuugi was taken aback by her blunt attempt for conversation, but gratefully jumped on the opportunity to fill this eerie silence. 

Yuugi learned that Mia had a sister just his age, and she also used to braid her hair. Yuugi remembered who braided his hair last and suddenly he wasn’t feeling to happy. He fidgeted with his glasses and Mia caught on right away, asking if he was okay. Yuugi was saved from answering with a knock on the gate.

Before Duke could check it, Yuugi just opened the door, made sure the cost was clear, and closed the gate behind him. Yuugi turned to welcome back the team, only there was one person standing in the gated area with him, and at first glance that person looked like Yami. 

“You… You’re not—” Before Yuugi could finish, the man grabbed Yuugi around the waste and kicked the doors open to be greetd by the surpsied faces of those inside. 

“Give me all the supplies that you have and this cutie dosesn’t get hurt.” Said the gruff voice behind him. Yuugi was frantically looking around for anyone to help, but it only looked like Tristen was going to do something. Surprisingly, it was Mai who stepped up as leader of the group. 

“You don’t need to be aggressive, I’m sure we can get you what you need without a problem. Let’s all calm down and put the child down, alright?” Mai said, in a voice that commanded respect. The man behind Yuugi just tightened his hold on him, causing Yuugi to wheeze. The noise caused everyone to tense. 

“I don’t think you heard me the first time so I’ll be nice; I need all of your supplies of the kid get it.” 

Duke slowly started to move toward their supply table, making a show of putting canned foods into a bag he found. The man watched him intently, moving so his back was against a wall and Yuugi still off the floor. Yuugi was finding it hard to breathe with the man’s hand on his stomach. When he tried to wiggle free he would apply more pressure, making it even harder for Yuugi to breathe. So Yuugi gave up trying to get away awhile ago. 

Mai walked over with the supplies, and the man looked at the bag and grabbed it with his gun hand. He pushed away from the wall wit a grin on his face and shifted Yuugi under his arm. 

“Well guys, thank you for being so very kind. But now we are going to take out leave.” 

“Wait, we?” Seto asked, starting forward only to be topped by Mokuba. 

“Yeah, you see, I really like this cutie here, so I think I’m going to take him with me. Who knows, maybe he’ll grow to love me too. Only time can tell.” This man said, casually, almost as if he wasn’t talking about just taking Yuugi away. That’s when the trio from before entered, carrying cases of beer and looking worse for wear. Before Yuugi could stop himself, he cried out, squirming against the damning hold on him. 

The man didn’t like that at all and squeezed him hard, but Yami had already heard Yuugi’s cries and rushed over, gun in hand. Joey flanked him while Anzu went to find wherever Keith went. Yami looked at the man and froze, and the hold on Yuugi went slack. Yuugi took his chance and kicked the man in the skin with all of his might and when he was released, sprinted to Yami who accepted him with open arms. 

Yuugi then turned to look at his capture and confusion crossed over his face. This could not make sense; it was impossible.

“Who… who are you?” Yuugi asked, hand clutched in Yami’s shirt. The man across from him had a smirk on his face that looked so similar and yet it sent shivers down Yuugi’s spine. 

“Why darling, I’m Atem, and that man you’re clinging to is my brother dearest.” The man Atem replied, and Yuugi instantly saw the connection. 

The man had dark bronze skin, and his hair was knotted and flying in all directions, it’s colors muted by filth. His eyes were also red like Yami’s, only these screamed blood lust and the color seemed to swim in madness. His clothes were tattered and his jeans torn. He wore combat books laced tightly and he had a black bandana tied around his left arm. After closer inspection, Yuugi saw a knife was strapped there. That wicked smile did not leave his face as he moved forward towards Yami.

Yami did not hesitate and met him halfway and then they embraced, laughing and quickly talking over one another. Yuugi stood there puzzled, wondering why Yami was getting treated in such a way while he was treated like a prisoner. Yami walked over to the group with the man Atem in tow. Yami smiled at the group to reassure him, and slung an arm around Atem’s shoulders. 

“Guys don’t worry, this is my brother, Atem. He’s pretty cool, but kind of extreme at times. He’s very sorry for scaring you all, especially you Yuugi.” Yuugi took a step away from the pair and felt Joey’s hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey, no harm no fowl. But Yuug’ here is going to keep his distance for a while, that fair?” Joey said, looking at the two brothers. Atem and Yami looked like they wanted to object, but Yami took a deep breath and nodded. 

“I understand, I’m sorry my brother scared you all. He didn’t realize this was a house of friends now enemies.” Yami said, his speech falling onto deaf ears. Everyone was still on edge, and Atem still looked like he wanted to attack. Yuugi squeezed Joey’s hand on his shoulder and stepped away from the group and toward the two brothers. 

“Well you defiantly scared me, and that wasn’t very nice. But you are welcome in our group if you’re related to Yami and have no ill intentions for us. Oh, and we’re good.” Yuugi finished, sticking his hand out to shake. Atem just looked at him in total surprise, laughed, and shook his hand back. Then Yuugi was pulled in for a nuggie, which earned a half-hearted attempt of a hit back. 

The rest of the group looked on with awe and confusion, seeing Yuugi being held as a captive now horsing around with said captive just didn’t add up. Of course, it was Anzu who broke the silence. 

“Hey, not to ruin the mood or anything but I was wondering what the hell is going on?” She asked angrily, stomping over to Atem who she assumed was safe now. As soon as she was close enough there was a blur of movement, ending with the tip of Atem’s knife to Anzu’s throat and Yuugi and Yami shoved behind him. Atem’s eyes screamed murderous rage, and Anzu had to take a step back in fear of getting impaled. 

“Don’t come near my family with that attitude, you got that?” Atem all but growled, taking a fighting stance. Anzu put her hands up slowly to show she meant no harm, but fear was clear across her face. Atem smirked and took a step forwards, knife still raised, when Yuugi decided enough was enough. 

He walked past Yami who tried to make a grab at him and pulled on Atem’s arm, not flinching when Atem turned his rage-filled eyes on him. Yuugi smiled in a peaceful way and gestured that Atem put down the knife. Atem hesitated but made a show of putting his knife back in his bandana sheath. 

Suddenly, Keith appeared out of nowhere, and made a bee line to the beer that Anzu, Yami, and Joey had brought back from their trip. 

“We need to leave. Those fuckers found a way in. Somebody didn’t close the door all the way shut after running a little errand.” Keith growled, grabbing as much alcohol he could possible manage. 

“Seto, I need you to go make sure we have a ride out of here, take this knife with you. Duke and Tristen, you two man the front doors and make sure they don’t open, Anzu and Mai get as much supplies as needed. Mokuba and Yuugi, stay close to Atem.” Yami barked out orders and everyone jumped into action. Joey ran with Seto, gun in hand as they made their way out the back exit. Anzu and Mai quickly grabbed as many bags and started to stuff them full of supplies. Yuugi made a mad dash for his own bag, and after retrieving it was pulled back to Atem and Mokuba. 

Mokuba clung to Yuugi and was shaking like a leaf. Yuugi did his best to comfort him, but he was uncertain that he was going to make it out of here alive. In fact, he was sure the survival rate for everyone was dropping the longer it took Joey and Seto to get to the car. Or at least clear a clean enough path they could book it to. 

Then, something horrible happened. It felt like time slowed down. Tristen and Duke got grabbed at the same time, and Yami was stuck deciding who to save. He must have been moving too slow because Atem quickly made his way over to Tristen and cut him free. When he turned to Duke, it looked like he was also going to make it. But fate was not on their side today. 

A monster came from nowhere and bit him, right in the neck. 

Yuugi heard Tristen screaming Duke’s name as they were huled away from the scene of the crime. He felt numb inside after seeing somebody so close to him die again. They were in a big SUV now, and Tristen was sobbing next to him. Yuugi did the only thing he could think of a hugged him. Tristen squeezed him back and cried harder. Yuugi decided that day that death is a cruel god who has no mercy. 

After a while, they found a motel that looked abandoned. After having Yami and Atem look it over, it was found to have supplied stocked and possible working cars. This was the first good news the group had heard in a long time. 

Even better, everyone could have their own rooms. But most decided to partner up, in fear of being alone or just for warmth. 

Yami partnered with Atem, to much of Anzu’s annoyance. Mai partnered with Tristen, who was still in shock of her lover being dead. Anzu partnered up with Keith due to mutual agreement. Yuugi suggested that he and Mokuba partner up, much to the displeasure of Seto, but him and Joey partnered up next door. 

With everyone situated, and with Atem on first watch, people tried to sleep the horrible day away only to be greeted with unease and nightmares. 

Yuugi clenched his eyes shut, trying not to remember Serenity, and how what happened to her happened to Duke. He felt the tears fall freely but silently from his face, for Mokuba had just been able to fall asleep, and Yuugi didn’t want to disturb him. 

Yuugi just wanted to wake up from this nightmare, only to be greeted by one once his eyes gave way to darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for reading my story!!


	3. Away We Go

Yuugi just wanted to wake up from this nightmare, only to be greeted by one once his eyes gave way to darkness.  
\--- 

It’s been a few weeks since the group has moved in, and the big group has divided. 

Anzu, Keith, Mai, and this new girl Mana are together most of the time. 

Mana and Mahad were the two new additions to the group, and opinions were extremely divided. Mahad had made quick friends with Atem, and even seemed to be one of the main three who could calm him down from a murderous rage, the other two being Yami and Yuugi. 

Mana was quirky and wanted to befriend all, even though not everyone wanted the same. It was actually Mai and Mana who clicked right away, and with Mana now in the group Mai had a reason to finally remove herself from Keith. She apparently had told Mana the reason why she stuck so close to him in the beginning, but Mana refused to betray her best friend’s trust and tell anyone else.  
But Yami believed that Mana was only with Keith and Anzu because of Mai, and Mai was only with them because of Keith. Yami had not figured out why Mai clung to Keith so, but she had also attached herself to Yuugi. 

The two didn’t even realize they had walked by a site until they heard the warning shot that almost took Mahad’s life. Lucky for them, Joey was studying to become a doctor, and had enough medical knowledge to fix the mistake. It was only a bullet in the arm, but infection can kill, especially without anti-bionics. 

Yuugi was also making his rounds, befriending all he could. He and Tristen grew closer after… the incident. Yami refused to think about his decision, but believed that he made the correct choice. Tristen was good for the group; Joey took to him right away, and their bickering caused the group to be filled of good feelings. 

But not everyone was happy about the new additions. 

Keith tried to get them kicked out of their motel home many times, one time actually kicking out Yuugi, which had caused many to go into a panic. Anzu had opened the gate when Yami asked her, with a huff of annoyance. She mumbled something under her breathe as she let Yuugi in, who had yet again survived on his own outside the protection of their makeshift home. Everyone was becoming more impressed with Yuugi, and Anzu and Keith were not pleased in the slightest. 

Yuugi had built a name for himself. He had befriended Atem first, which caused people to follow although timid. He and Atem also were the ones to discover a family of rabbits, and brought them into the walls. They were caged in the office room, and really helped with the meat rations. 

He also came up with the idea to make doors for that their home could be easily defended. Tristen and him built an alarm system that would alert whoever was on watch upon the RV that strangers were coming. 

But it was Anzu who found the guns, and because she found the guns she was leader of the group. Yami of course was second in command, much to Keith’s displeasure. The three of them would go inside the RV every night to discuss rations and meal plans and what to do with any new comers. 

They almost killed their new additions to the group, Mana and Mahad, whom Atem grew close to, when they first arrived to the motel home. The three agreed any rash behavior would be unwise, because killing without a cause was a bad decision to make. Keith disagreed but was outvoted. Yami was glad Anzu agreed, but he looked angry when she did. She didn’t like agreeing with him on most things, especially including Yuugi. 

Yami can’t say for sure, but he was certain she’s tried to off Yuugi on a number of occasions. The last trip Yuugi almost got bit by a walker by “tripping” into it. He’s also been locked in stores with the corpses, has fallen out of the get-away vehicle and having to have to walk home, and yet he still smiles at her like she’s done nothing wrong. And she smiles back but there’s hatred in her eyes. Yami couldn’t for the life of him figure out why she hated him so. 

But Anzu did nothing to hide her hatred of Yuuig; everyone in the camp site knew of it. In fact, Yuugi accuired a number of people who would defend him in Anzu ever started to yell at him. If Atem was even suspected of being around, Anzu wouldn’t dare go near Yuugi. Atem had become fiercly protective of the young man, and he made sure everyone knew Yuugi had his mark of protection, which was the black bandana around Yuugi’s left arm. Those who knew Atem knew what the black bandana meant, and back the fuck right off. 

The first lesson Anzu got from Yuugi’s protectors was that Atem would not hesitate to kill her. When she had went for Yuugi’s glasses like at the convenience store, Atem had her on the ground with his dagger pointed at her throat so fast she felt dizzy. 

“Don’t ever do that again.” Atem growled, and Anzu felt like this was the last image she would ever see; this rage monster on top of her, pinning her down onto the parking lot with a blade at her throat. A sick twisted version of Yami, one with no compassion for others. Until Yuugi grabbed onto his middle. Them the pressure left and Atem was walking away with Yuugi, hand in hand. He shot one last glare at Anzu before completely ignoring her and completely engrossed with whatever Yuugi was telling him. 

The second lesson came from Yami, when the three of them when on a run for supplies. Yuugi had sneezed in a corpse-filled lobby, and Anzu had went to cover his face when Yami plucked her hand out of mid air and gave it a firm squeeze. 

“Don’t touch him, let’s just get the supplies from the kitchen and move. NOW.” He stressed, looking Anzu straight in the eye. She felt fear from her boyfriend for the first time since they had been dating, but she didn’t hold it against him. That stupid Yuugi had him under his spell, just like everyone else in this dreaded campsite. Only Keith saw him what he really was; a fucking coward and a leech. 

Her third lesson came from Mahad, who watches Yuugi sometimes when Atem asks him to. He had scolded her for the harsh words she had used with him earlier, but Yuugi assured him that Anzu meant well, and that she was only giving him a hard time because it was serious business gathering supplies, and she was right to be concerned with him if he did it wrong. Mahad had only rested his hand on Yuugi’s head and smiled at him. 

There had been more with Mai and Mana, Joey in particular had become Yuugi’s guard dog. And because Joey had become so attached, Seto and Mokuba had as well, Mokuba going as far as calling Yuugi his older brother. Anzu knew if she was to so much as raise her tone while they were around, she would get her ass chewed out by a very overprotective family. 

So she knew that if she wanted to tell Yuugi to back off of Yami, she’d had to do it in private. A trip, maybe. Or maybe a few moments alone in his room, he would excuse whoever was in the room and she could have a word with him. The only thing wrong with her plan was that somebody would try to tag along. There was almost always somebody with Yuugi, it was hard to ever get him alone. 

So when she saw her chance, she knew it would be her only one in a long time. 

Yuugi was just sitting by himself in his usual spot where he and mokuba play with a ball. Only there is no ball and Mokuba is nowhere to be seen. Anzu slowly made her way over, weary that Atem would jump out of nowhere and slit her throat like he’s promised to do so many times. But nobody came at her, and she was standing alone with Yuugi for the first time in weeks. 

“Hey Yuugi.” She said, a cheery smile on her face. 

“Oh Anzu! Hello! How are you? Would you like to sit?” Yuugi asked, an innocent smile on his face that Anzu wished to crush. But she held back her displeasure and sat next to Yuugi, hoping to make this a quick visit. 

“Look Yuugi, I know you like Yami, and I just need you to know that he’s a taken man, and that you can’t have him. He’s my boyfriend—and even though the world has gone to shit, I expected better from somebody who follows standers.” She said quickly, looking around for Yuugi’s protector squad. Yuugi just gave her a look that startled her, and she was reminded again that this wasn’t the small boy who she had play around with in high school. 

“Anzu, Yami is his own person. If he hasn’t said he still wants to be your boyfriend, why hold him to that? Plus, times are hard enough as is than to fight over a boy. Is that why you’ve been trying to get me killed? Like I wouldn’t notice Anzu,” Yuugi says, his voice now serious and Anzu stood, an uneasy feeling creeping over her. 

“Just know your place Yuugi.”

“Hm, I know my place in the group Anzu, but the real question is, do you?” Yuugi asked, and before she could answer Mokuba had returned with the stupid ball they played with. Yuugi was back to being all smiles and Anzu stomped away in a huff, annoyance painted on her face. 

She would show him who was boss, and she’d need another word with Keith about the Yami situation. 

\--- 

Yami and Mahad and returned from an unsuffessful hunt. They decided that they could gather food for the rabbits that Yuugi had caught, and gathered as much green as they thought needed. When they returned to the base they were met with a crime scene.

All of the rabbits were dead, and in their blood was written 

YOURE NEXT YOUR MOTHERFUCKERS

Atem walked in and took in the site and whistled, walking to stand next to Yami. 

“These fuckers are either really good, or we have somebody in our own camp who would turn against us. I mean, destroy our meat supply? And Yuugi worked hard on collecting those bunnies too.” 

“So it has to be somebody out to get Yuugi and the rest of us, somebody we know.”

“So it’s agreed that it’s somebody in this stinkhole of a group?” 

“Yes,” replied Yami, who had been in a daze until the thought of Anzu possibly doing this crossed his mind. 

“I have a list of suspects that I wouldn’t mind talking to.” Atem said, a feral grin on his face. Yami shuddered at the image, only his imagination giving him knowledge of what Atem really meant. 

But he needed to keep this group safe, and that included Yuugi—especially Yuugi. He couldn’t help the protective feeling that passed over him whenever Yuugi was around. He’d lost it a few times on Anzu for being too harsh on Yuugi, and had come up with no explanation. He was supposed to be dating Anzu, but he couldn’t help the fierce feeling of something whenever Yuugi looked his way, ratty braid and dirty glasses. 

Yami had not been given the entire story of why Yuugi wouldn’t let anyone touch his hair, but he would ask at a later date. Somebody had placed a target on his group, and he was not about to let that stand. 

“Atem, I allow you to name the suspects, but don’t do anything without my say-so, got it?”

“Yeah Yami I got it,” came the annoyed reply, “no killing or maiming unless you give me special permission.” 

“Good, now who do you think did this?”

“Well, it was somebody in the walls, Tristen is too paranoid to allow strangers in even if it’s to take a piss. I suspect somebody who hates how things are running now, and somebody who hates how Yuugi is climbing up the social ladder while they’re stuck at the bottom with no way up.” Mahad sighed but nodded in agreement. 

“It only makes sense if it were to be one of our own.”

“But who could hate Yuugi so much to put the whole group at risk?” Yami asked to nobody in particular, but from the glances he was receiving from Atem and Mahad, the answer should be obvious. 

“It’s gotta be either Anzu or Keith, but I’m placing my money on Anzu.” Atem said, a growl heard in his voice. Yami noticed that he now had a dagger in his hand, and the situation was escalating quickly. He gently but firmly grabbed Atem’s wrist. 

“You know how I feel about her, but we can’t just go around killing everyone we think is bad. Let’s do some investigating first before you get happy with your dagger, okay?” Yami said in his calmest voice he could muster. 

He was used to Atem being violent, but now that there was no society to control him, it was like putting chaos on a leash and expecting it to behave. Now Atem had freedom to maim and kill whomever dared to get in his face, and Yami was trying his best to be his moral compass. 

It did help that Atem grew fond of Yuugi, who while became tuff due to his circumstances, remained pure and morals securely intact. He hopes that Yuugi will be able to teach his brother right from wrong, something Yami himself failed to do in the past. 

Mahad declared that they show this to the group and look for reactions. Yami was against the idea—he didn’t want Yuugi to see somebody going to such lengths to destroy something he so carefully created. Atem agreed with Mahad, but said he would make sure Yuugi didn’t see much or had somebody to shield him away from the sight. Yami was grateful for the gesture but felt something inside him stir. 

He wanted to be the one to protect Yuugi, seeing that Yuugi was the one who had protected him most of the time. He knew others felt over protective of the young man, he just didn’t realize how much. Now his brother will be protecting Yuugi while he looked for suspicious faces. 

“If that is agreed, than I shall call for a group meeting.” Mahad said and he left the room calling for Tristen to gather everyone for a group meeting. 

\--- 

When everyone saw the message, the reactions were basically the same. 

Joey and Seto immediately shield Mokuba away, but the poor child had already seen the message. They were talking in hushed voices, Seto’s face painted with pure rage and Joey’s with a mixture of anger and concern. Yami doubted that either would do something like this, and brushed off their behavior completely. 

Mai was pale and covered her mouth with shock. She was standing next to Keith, who had grabbed onto her when they both saw the message. Yami raised an eyebrow, but deemed their behavior semi-normal and continued with his search. 

Tristen hugged himself as tears feel from his eyes. He was very fond of the rabbits, so it would be logical that he would act this way. He actually left the room after claiming that somebody needed to be on watch.

But it was Anzu that draw in Yami’s attention. 

She looked stone faced, and stared at the floor, and Yami knew she would be his number one suspect. He quickly looked to see Yuugi being held in the arms of Atem, and something stirred in him again. He pushed away the feeling in order to find the one responsible for the crime. 

“As you can see, we have some serious sabotage going on; those bunnies might not have been a lot, but they were a good source of food that’s now gone. You can see why this is an issue, can’t you?” Yami asked the group, who mumbled their agreements and nodded their heads. Anzu remained frozen. 

Yami asked the group to leave but grabbed Anzu by the cruck of her elbow. She stiffened in his hold but didn’t try to pull away. Once they were alone, she slowly turned towards him with surprisingly fiery eyes. Yami was taken aback and Anzu used this to her advantage and snatched her arm back to her side. 

“You think it was me who did it.” She said bluntly, to which Yami could only nod, still taken aback by her attitude. She gave him a harsh laugh in return, but the sound scared Yami. 

“Trust me, there’s somebody here that hates Yuugi more than I do. Plus, I actually thought the rabbits were a good idea, why should I kill them?” She asked, getting into Yami’s personal space. Yami’s reply was hands up in the air in pure surrender, and she smiled coldly at him. 

“I know you love him, and I know he loves you. But you were, no still are my boyfriend. And I would like for it to stay that way for as long as possible. Because I love you Yami, and I’m going to help you find out who killed these rabbits for our relationship, and to show the punk who you really belong to.” Anzu finished, a flirty smile now danced across her face. 

Yami was purely stunned. He nodded and she grabbed him by the hand and lead him out of the room where the smell of blood would soon fade from his senses. 

\--- 

Yuugi couldn’t believe it. All that work he put in to those rabbits and now they’re gone? Just like that? Just because somebody didn’t like him? He had too many questions.

Did that person realize that they had endangered the entire group by doing this? Not just hurting his feelings?

Did the person want to personally hurt Yuugi or did they want to make the group suffer? 

Was this person even in the group? 

Questions like these and more ran through Yuugi’s head as he was carried back to his room by Atem. He’s not sure when his legs gave out but they did and he was forever grateful of Atem being there for him. 

“I’m not leaving you alone, you know.” Atem’s voice broke through his train of thought and he blinked a few times in an attempt to clear his head. 

“I’m sure the person who did this isn’t plotting my murder as we speak. Plus Tristen took care of those rabbits as much if not more than I did. They were Duke’s favorite animal, and it broke his heart eating them.” Yuugi said, not very present in the moment. He was still in his head, trying to figure everything out. 

Who would go to such lengths just to make him feel this way? To make him feel bad? To hurt the group in such a way?

Atem sighed and sat Yuugi on his bed, Mokuba’s empty.

“Listen to me Yuugi, I am here for you no matter what, and I mean what I say. I will protect you, and that includes protecting you from people from this group. I don’t trust them all; I know you do but I just don’t. Let me protect you until this blows over, okay?”

Yuugi sighed and rolled his eyes, but he accepted Atem’s request in the end. Hell even he knew that it wasn’t a request. 

Yuugi started to lay down when all of a sudden he heard shouting at the front gate. Atem was alert and already pushing himself between him and whatever the threat was. 

Yuugi grabbed onto his own knife and tried to peer outside the window to see what could cause such a raucous. His blood ran cold when he saw Keith with a knife pointed to a battered Mai’s neck, a supply of food in his backpack, and demanding to speak with him. 

He turned towards Atem, who was already shaking his head in disagreement. 

“I have to do something Atem, he wants to speak to me personally.” 

“I rather not see you as a corpse Yuugi.” Was Atem’s blunt response, which caused Yuugi to groan in frustration. 

“I will not be killed, you’ll be protecting me, remember?” 

Atem started at him, and then he smiled. 

“Alright, let’s go end this little dispute.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Sorry for the late wait, it's been hard to find motivation to write.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is a story I started on Fanfiction.net but I'm moving and re-writing it here!! I hope you like it, and I'm trying to find a good schedule for updates!


End file.
